CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Asking for help is always the first but most important step in mental health awareness. That is why the Charleston Fire Department plans to make their new headquarters a wellness center.
Captain Austin Smith says they hope the facility will have a gym, classrooms, and clinician offices.
The center will be a place for firefighters to workout, unwind, and seek professional counseling. It will be available for on and off duty firefighters.
“It’s a very stressful job. We work 24 hour shifts. We’re away from our family for 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, we see a lot of the community in the worst of their days,” Smith said. “We need a way to address the stress involved with our job so we don’t carry it home.”
Smith hopes the center will provide a healthy outlet to firefighters to cope with the day to day stress of their jobs, through interacting with their coworkers and accessibility to professional help.
In addition to counseling services, Smith says clinicians would also provide classes on topics including drug and alcohol abuse, and marriage counseling.
